Beowulf is the longest epic poem in Old English, written between the 8th Beowulf and the early 11th century. The author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. It is centred around the heroic deeds of a great warrior, who kills monsters and fights all kinds of different enemies, including a dragon.
 The story highlights the values traditionally associated with the epic genre: courage in battle, loyalty to one’s chief and people, strength, generosity and endurance. The poem is set in Scandinavia.
 This adaptation is written in modern narrative form and contains dossiers about epic poetry, the language used, and the historical and cultural context.
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Key to Summing-up Activities.
 
 Beowulf è il più lungo poema in Old English. Narra le eroiche imprese di un grande e valoroso guerriero che uccide mostri e combatte contro nemici di ogni genere, tra cui un terribile drago. La storia esalta tutti i valori tradizionalmente associati all’epica: coraggio, lealtà, generosità e resilienza. Una stimolante lettura che offre anche approfondimenti sulla poesia epica, la lingua usata, e riferimenti al periodo storico e culturale.

Beowulf: Presentation

Chapter 1 – Grendel the Monster

Extension: Epic poetry

Chapter 2 – Grendel’s Death

Extension: The Anglo-Saxons

Chapter 3 – The End of the Monster

Extension: The language of Beowulf

Chapter 4 – The King and the Dragon

Extension: Graves and treasure

Chapter 5 – Beowulf’s Barrow

Extension: Beowulf ’s influence

Summing-up activities

Glossary

3 The End of the Monster Chapter BEFORE READING 1 The story so far. Put the following sentences into the correct order. a b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. 2 The king gave him rich gifts to reward him. Beowulf pulled off Grendel s arm. Beowulf said he would face the monster without weapons. Grendel s mother wanted revenge, so she went to the hall. Beowulf and the king followed the footprints of the monster s mother as far as a dark lake full of blood. Hrothgar ordered his men to prepare a great banquet. Beowulf decided to jump into the lake. Grendel ran away and went back to the moors to die. After the banquet, the warriors put mattresses on the floor to sleep on. She grabbed her son s arm and took away Hrothgar s friend. Making predictions. Choose one of the options. 1. In Chapter 3, you will read about what happens to Beowulf after he jumps into the lake. What do you think will happen to him? a. He will be attacked immediately by Grendel s mother. b. He will find her only after swimming for a very long time. c. He will be attacked by monsters. 2. What do you think will happen to him after he meets Grendel s mother? a. He will kill her immediately with his sword. b. She will wound him in a very serious way. c. He will have to look for a special weapon in order to kill her. 3. Now predict what will happen after the fight with Grendel s mother. a. Beowulf will find a lot of treasure in Grendel s mother s den and will bring it back to King Hrothgar. b. He will bring back the sword  Hrunting  and Grendel s mother s head. c. He will bring back Grendel s head. 3 Making predictions. Answer this question. What do you think will happen when Beowulf and his warriors go back to Geatland? 38 

Beowul The End of the Monster Chapter 3 After those words, Beowulf jumped into the dark waters of the lake and started to swim towards the bottom. Many monsters attacked him while he was going down, but he killed them all with his sword. The lake was very deep, he swam and swam, but it took him almost the whole day to reach the bottom. When he was finally there, he saw many weapons and sets of armour scattered1 on the ground. They were what remained of the many men that the monster had killed in her long life. In fact, she had lived in a cave at the bottom of the lake for a hundred years and had always taken her victims there to eat them. When she saw Beowulf watching her from above, she reacted2 immediately. She swam upwards and grabbed him with her claws. She held him so tight3 that he could not use his sword. The monster bit him and hit him with her claws, but his chain mail4 protected him and she could not hurt him. This made her furious. So, she dragged5 him to the bottom, towards her cave, so fast that he could not use his sword. While she was pulling him down, monsters from the lake attacked him, trying to bite him, but his chain mail resisted and their teeth could not reach his flesh. When Beowulf touched the bottom, he saw that he was in a cave where the water did not enter and where a fire was burning. Thanks to its little light, he was finally able to see the monstrous creature in front of him. He drew his sword and hit her head with terrible strength. He hit her many times, but Hrunting did nothing to her! That sword had been in many fights, had cut armour and helmets and won many enemies, but now it was powerless against 1. scattered: thrown disorderly in various directions. 2. reacted: did something in response to another action. 3. tight: firmly, strongly. 4. chain mail: a type of armour made of rings of metal linked together. 5. dragged: moved him by pulling him with difficulty. 39 

"Beowulf," il più lungo poema in Old English, narra le eroiche imprese di un guerriero. Con approfondimenti su epica, lingua, valori tradizionali

Beowulf Collana RAINBOWS

Level B1 • Pre-Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

Beowulf

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